The Sentinel

Microplastics and our water: What families should know

StatePoint Media - Statistics show if that if you’re not filtering your water the right way, your family is likely consuming microplastics.

An overwhelming 94% of U.S. tap water is contaminated with fragments of plastic pollution called microplastics, and bottled water does not fare much better —microplastics are found in 93% of 11 popular water bottle brands around the world.

Microplastics found in drinking water are not just an environmental hazard — mounting evidence indicates that they are also a potential human health hazard.

When it comes to your family’s health and well-being, don’t take chances.

So what can you do to help make your drinking water safer? Investing in the right water filter is a great start. Be sure to choose one that meets internationally-recognized testing standards and is backed by independent testing. For example, all of LifeStraw’s water filters feature a membrane technology capable of filtering out microplastics and a host of other contaminants, such as bacteria and parasites.

To ensure your family has higher-quality water wherever you go, tackle the problem with this two-pronged approach:

At home: Supply your household with safer water using the LifeStraw Home High-Capacity Dispenser. In addition to microplastics, this sleek, 35-cup dispenser also removes bacteria and parasites, and reduces lead, mercury and chemicals, including PFAS, as well as chlorine, herbicides, pesticides, dirt, sand and cloudiness, while retaining essential minerals.

On the go: Access healthier water when you are at school, work or out and about using the LifeStraw Go Series Water Filter Tumbler. This insulated, travel-sized stainless steel water filter improves taste and protects against contaminants, including microplastics.

To learn more about safe drinking water, as well as efforts being made to improve drinking water around the world, visit lifestraw.com/blogs.

When it comes to your family’s health and well-being, don’t take chances. Simple steps can vastly improve your water supply and reduce your consumption of harmful pollutants.

It's no joke, high taxes is the number one concern for Illinois residents

Illinois residents have the highest combined state and local tax burden in the nation, accounting for nearly 17% of their paychecks, and the second-highest property taxes in the country, according to the financial website WalletHub.

by Judith Ruiz-Branch
Illinois News Connection

CHICAGO - High taxes and a weak economy are the top concerns of Illinois residents according to a new poll, with nearly half of those surveyed saying they would leave the state if given the opportunity.

The poll, conducted for the Illinois Policy Institute, showed more than half of those surveyed rank the state's high taxes as their number one concern, with the overall economy coming in second. Half of voters surveyed said they would move out of the state, regardless of whether they can afford it.

Dylan Sharkey, assistant editor for the Illinois Policy Institute, said the group started conducting surveys to shed light on tax issues.

"It's impossible for lawmakers to deny that these are the issues that people care about," Sharkey contended. "Because when you have a survey or a statewide poll, it's hard to deny those voices."

The bottom line should be that taxes should not be a first resort. The first resort should be to do more with money they already have.

Since 2020, it is estimated Illinois has lost close to 500,000 residents. Sharkey argued the poll helps to dispel the myth people are leaving the state due to the weather. He added states of similar size and climate, such as Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan, are also losing residents but at a much slower rate.

"This might seem obvious to some people, but of course, high taxes are number one," Sharkey emphasized. "Part of the reason we do this polling is because there are lawmakers and groups out there who look at our state and think, 'Well, we just need more money to fix the problem.' And the reality is, if you take more money from people, they're just going to find a new home."

Sharkey added he hopes the poll will serve as guidance for Illinois lawmakers as they consider new legislation which could add to the tax burden residents already carry.

"Even if lawmakers aren't in consensus over new taxes, their constituents are," Sharkey asserted. "The bottom line should be that taxes should not be a first resort. The first resort should be to do more with money they already have."

Other interesting articles:

How rough play shapes stronger, smarter kids

by Colleen Reynolds
OSF Healthcare

PEORIA - First-time moms can be a little leery of dad wrestling with a little one, but research shows rough housing, or better put, active play actually helps with physical development, social skills and emotional regulation.

Kyle Boerke, PsyD, a clinical child psychologist and the director of Outpatient Behavioral Health services at OSF HealthCare, says it might be surprising but aggressive physical play between parents and their children results in less aggressive kids.

Kyle Boerke

“During physical play, fathers especially who exert some levels of dominance actually have more well-adjusted kiddos; more socially adjusted and more confident kiddos whereas with more passive fathers, we actually get children who engage in more physical aggression. So, it’s kind of opposite of what some people who are hesitant might think.”

Active play also helps children learn to regulate their emotions Dr. Boerke says.

“I might be starting to get frustrated but I’m learning how to deal with that frustration. I’m learning how to be assertive and say, ‘I would like to stop or please stop.’ And if it’s high-quality interaction the parent is going to stop and now I’m learning that if I advocate for myself, then things are going to turn out the right way.”

What does active play look like? It can be playing tag, wrestling, flying a kid like an airplane on your raised legs and feet, even spinning a child around. During a walk, it could be mom and dad swinging them with each holding a hand.

Dr. Boerke says rough-and-tumble play has so many benefits. For example, he says it provides opportunities for children to learn about social cues and helps build confidence as they test their limits. It positively impacts the brain, improving cognition, attention and academic achievement.

For parents it has positive side effects because the interactions activate pleasure hormones.

There is no age limit for rough-and-tumble play.

“One of the most fascinating parts of research on this rough-and-tumble play is we actually get equal, if not higher, levels of this hormone oxytocin at the end of a rough- and-tumble play session than we do when we simply sit on the couch and cuddle with our kiddos. So it actually strengthens the bond with my child.”

Active play also promotes development of gross motor skills, balance, coordination and spatial awareness. But parents need to make sure it doesn’t cause harm or that the parent always has dominance. Dr. Boerke suggests letting the child win as much as you do and setting limits when it goes on too long.

He emphasizes that when it comes to tickling, don’t hold a child down and make sure to stop when a child says they’ve had enough or seem worn out by it.

There is no age limit for rough-and-tumble play. Dr. Boerke explains the type of active play just morphs a bit as a child ages.

“What was wrestling or chase and flee, what was tickling and throwing them in the air when they were little turned into, we're going to play a one-on-one game of basketball, you know, at a park. Or if I have a hoop at my house, there's rough-and-tumble play in that too, right?”

For more introverted parents, Dr. Boerke suggests easing into active play and it will eventually come naturally. Enthusiasm is important. He stresses that a child needs to feel a parent is really engaged and interested, not just going through the motions. He says if parents are too passive about play, their children tend to be more aggressive in the long run.

Navigating parenthood and professional life: Cari Rincker’s insights on 'The Billable Mom'

Local attorney empowers professional mothers through candid conversations with her 'The Billable Mom' podcasts.

Shelbyville - Shelbyville native and accomplished attorney Cari Rincker has wrapped up another successful season of her podcast, The Billable Mom. With a mission to explore the challenges faced by professional mothers, Rincker's podcast has found a steady audience, offering practical insights on topics ranging from time management to maternal health.

The show, available on iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, and ListenNotes, features 23 episodes filled with thoughtful discussions and real-world advice. Rincker, who also operates Rincker Law, PLLC, was inspired to start the podcast during maternity leave after the birth of her second child. “I was home on maternity leave holding my sleeping baby in arm and running my life and law practice from my iPhone in my other hand,” she recalled. “I knew I wasn’t the only professional parent facing this balancing act.”

Guests have included a diverse mix of attorneys, entrepreneurs, and coaches who are also parents. Among them are Manu Brune of Beyond Birth Basics, Laura Hanaford from The Trip Trotter, and Mahomet-based photographer Emily Donohoe. Each brings personal stories and professional advice, covering subjects like postpartum health, sleep training, and travel planning.

Legal professionals such as Tiffany Dowell Lashmet of Texas A\&M University, Bloomington attorney Michelle Mosby Scott, and fellow Shelbyville natives Liz Nohren and Kaylee Boehm have also been featured. “I have absolutely loved getting to know these women on a different level and hearing their stories as they are all unique,” Rincker said.

Rincker is now pausing new recordings to focus on curating recommendations for her listeners, including books, software, and other tools. The podcast is sponsored by organizations such as Beyond Birth Basics, Lawmatics, and Minors Co., which supports task management consulting through Asana.

More information about The Billable Mom is available at www.thebillablemom.com. The podcast can also be found on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter X, Pinterest, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Cari Rincker may be contacted directly at cari@thebillablemom.com.

Through The Billable Mom, Rincker continues to build a space for candid conversations and shared experiences—reminding working parents they are not alone in the daily juggle of career and family.

Viewpoint |
Immigrants are our neighbors, isn't that enough?

by Meredith Lehman
OtherWords

I recall seeing a sign in a yard in my small hometown of around 12,000 residents. “No matter where you are from,” it said, “we’re glad you are our neighbor.”

It was positioned defiantly, facing a Trump sign that had been plunged into the neighbor’s yard across the street. It poignantly illustrated the tensions in my rural Ohio town, which — like many similar communities — has experienced a rapid influx of immigrants over the last 20 years.

The sign’s sentiment was simple yet profound. I found myself wondering then, as I wonder now, when compassion had become so complicated. It seems everyone has become preoccupied arguing over the minutiae of immigration that they’ve missed the most glaring and essential point: We are neighbors.

Small businesses are the backbone of the U.S. economy, a truth so widely acknowledged that it bridges the ever-growing partisan divide.

While writing this piece, I gathered studies and prepared a detailed analysis of the ways immigrants have transformed and revitalized the economies of the Rust Belt. I was going to explain how immigrants have helped fill vacant housing and industry in this region’s shrinking cities to reverse the toll of population decline.

I gathered statistics showing the economic growth and revitalization that’s happened as immigrants have brought flourishing small businesses to their new communities. Like: Despite making up only around 14 percent of the U.S. population, immigrants own 18 percent of small businesses with employees — and nearly a quarter of small businesses without employees. (And immigrants in Rust Belt cities are even more likely to be entrepreneurs.)

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Small businesses are the backbone of the U.S. economy, a truth so widely acknowledged that it bridges the ever-growing partisan divide. Both Vice President JD Vance and former Vice President Kamala Harris have promoted the critical role of small businesses in economic flourishing.

I was going to tell a story about Joe, a vendor at my local flea market. He and other vendors were heavily averse to migrants purchasing the dilapidated building from the previous owner. Now they laud the building’s new management and improved conditions.

I was going to describe the experiences of my recently immigrated high school peers, who sometimes fell asleep in class from sheer exhaustion after working night shifts at meatpacking plants and attending school for seven hours the next day.

I was going to explain why communities not only benefit from immigrants, but need them.

Without immigrants, I learned, U.S. communities would lose the nearly $1 trillion of state, local, and federal taxes that immigrants contribute annually. This number is almost $300 billion more than immigrants receive in government benefits.

Without immigration, the U.S. working-age population is projected to decline by approximately 6 million over the next two decades — a shift that would carry significant consequences, especially for the Social Security system. Sustained population growth is critical to preserving a balanced ratio of workers contributing to Social Security for every beneficiary receiving support.

As immigration is expected to become the sole driver of U.S. population growth by 2040, restrictive immigration policies threaten to undermine this vital program, as a cornerstone of the American social safety net. With broad public support for strengthening Social Security, embracing immigration is not just beneficial — it is essential to ensuring the program’s long-term stability and success.

I was prepared to comb through every dissent in an effort to prove why our neighbors are deserving of empathy and compassion. But none of these answers address the larger, more urgent question: When did being neighbors cease to be enough?

Most Americans still tell pollsters immigration is good for their communities and reject cruel deportations, especially those that separate families, target people without criminal records, or penalize people who came here as young children. My rural Ohio town, and countless communities like it, are slowly learning the most important lesson about this supposedly complicated issue: Compassion doesn’t need to be complicated.